Food is fuel for the body, so what do you put in your tank?

Imagine someone filling up your car with sugar instead of gas (I can almost hear all you car lovers out there shrieking in absolute horror). Well, the damage that this causes is similar to that of your own body’s engine when you take a bite out of that lard-filled giant cookie that you can’t help but shell out two dollars for every day at the office vending machine.

Ok fine, that’s me…but I know many of you out there do the very same thing! If it’s not this heart-stopper, then it’s another. Your poison may be the irresistible bag of salt-ladened chips or the double fudge chocolate chip with caramel filling bar that speaks to you. With everyone’s ever busier and increasingly sedentary lives, it’s often hard to resist these convenient temptations.

But whatever excuse you use, it won’t work anymore. Time and effort are no longer issues as trainers, dietitians, nutritionists, and chefs prove time and again that eating healthily is both easy and quick. Take Adam Hart’s Flourless Hemp Cookies for instance. Let’s see you try and talk your way out of this recipe, which consists of all of five main ingredients, an oh so high-tech spatula to mix it all up, and brace yourselves…ten whole minutes of baking time.

This snack alternative not only gives you the energy you need to get through that extra couple of hours of work, but you’ll be filling up your body with nothing but nature’s goodness, whole and unprocessed. The hemp seeds alone are a complete protein, which means that they naturally contain all 9 essential amino acids that your body doesn’t have to work to break down!

Adam is all about educating the public on these foods and how to easily incorporate them in people’s diets. Next week, he will introduce more whole foods to add to your grocery list, so stay tuned! Your body will thank you.

For the recipe to the yummy flourless hemp cookies, read on!

I have to admit, I was skeptical about these cookies when Adam told me about them. I’ve tried a variety of hemp products like hemp butter etc, but I’ve never really acquired the taste for this plant and I didn’t think this would make a difference.

Surprisingly, they turned out to be quite tasty! They were very filling (which is a quality you want to look for in a snack) and when eaten right out of the oven, pretty darn good. The only thing I would do differently is use a little less peanut butter and maybe a little more chocolate! Here is the recipe:

Flourless Hemp Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

1 organic egg
1 cup all natural crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup raw cane sugar
Handful of chopped dark chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. Spoon out small ball size portions and with a fork, flatten onto a parchment papered cookie sheet.

3. Cook in the oven at 350°F until golden brown (about 10 – 15 minutes depending on the oven).

That’s it! Enjoy!

Bonus Tip: Include 1/4 cup of ground unhulled sesame seeds to your mix to increase the iron content of each cookie.

About Adam Hart:

B.C. businessman Adam Hart says that in the gamut of workplace-wellness programs, an overlooked way to bolster the immune system, prevent worker absenteeism and help employees increase their energy levels is by eating simple, nutritious whole foods.

Hart, founder of workplace-wellness company Clear Impact, brings nutrition awareness into the workplace via his “Power of Food: 30 Days to Personal Health” programs that teach workers about unprocessed foods and their link to increased energy, improved productivity and employee well-being. He teaches about basic foods such as grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables that can be easily and quickly prepared into snacks, bag lunches and other meals conducive to the workplace (and the home).

Two of his top fall recommendations are:

* Flourless hemp chocolate chunk cookies to accompany the mid-afternoon coffee break. They’re a source of powerful protein, iron and B vitamins and ward off the afternoon energy crash.

* Sweet potato soup fortified with Quinoa, an ancient grain from South America that’s rich in dietary fibre and protein. It’s easy to make, available in grocery stores and a great source of high-quality complex carbohydrates (for energy), and of multiple vitamins and minerals to boost the immune system.

Clear Impact is rooted in Hart’s personal story. Not many years ago, he worked at a sedentary job in an office, smoked, ate junk food and was pre-diabetic. He was only 26. After intensive study of the food-wellness connection, he concluded the best diet was based on recipes in Grandma’s cookbook: simple, uncomplicated meals and snacks using unprocessed foods.

Today he ice climbs, has shed the weight, quit smoking and is no longer pre-diabetic.

Adam’s Vitals:

Adam Hart
Director, Whole Foods Personal Trainer
t: 1.604.815.3751
e: info@clearimpact.ca